Transcript for Car Accident Deaths Rise in America for First Time in 7 Years

There is a new report that says for the first time in seven years, deaths on the road are rising in america. Last year, the increase was 5% and just this week, another new report says deaths among 16 and 17-year-olds were up a staggering 19% at the beginning of last year. So, why is this happening? Abc's david kerley tells us. Reporter: We have put cars through a battery of crash tests. Many states have banned texting and driving. But for the first time in seven years, highway deaths are rising. Why? Believe it or not, it's because we are driving more, increasing our risk. It's better weather and a better economy, which means more money for gas. And because many of us have kept our old cars, average age on the road is 11 ye are a lot of vehicles out there without the latest safety techgy. Certainly. A base model today is probably much more safe, or much safer than a mid-level vehicle five years ago. Reporter: We traveled to the consumer reports test track, to see some of the latest safety features, designed to save your life, like this mercedes benz. It takes all this information and can actually tell whether I'm falling asleep? It does. It reads how you're driving. Reporter: If you swerve, or make moves to stay awake, the car knows, and alerts you even telling you where the closest coffee shop is. So replace the pasaying "wake up." Exactly. Reporter: It's just going to say, "hey, you need to pull over and get a cup of coffee." Without the passenger holding onto the armrest saying "please stop!" Reporter: For families, ford is installing inflatable seat belts in the back seat. Think of it as an airbag for your kids in booster seats. In an accident, it disperses crash energy across the chest. One of the simplest contributors to accidents that you can fix? Proper tire inflation. And now, a new system from nissan tells you when you put enough air in the tireh three quick beeps. Technology to keep us safe, which consumer reports hopes become standard. We don't want to see safety be something you have to make a decision with your wallet. We want safety to be something that you can get at an easy price point, make it safety for everybody. Reporter: All these safety features are available right now. In fact, in these ford vehicles, you can get this inflatable belt and two other safety features for an $600. Ford says about a quarter of buyers, diane, are taking it up.

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